1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a communication terminal apparatus such as a cellular phone and a method of controlling the same, a server apparatus and a method of controlling the same, and storage media storing respective programs for implementing these methods, which utilize a service of distributing musical tone data such as incoming call melodies via the Internet and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are known communication terminal apparatuses such as cellular phones that receive a service of distributing musical tone data such as incoming call melodies provided by server apparatuses through networks such as the Internet. These communication terminal apparatuses such as the I-mode and the J-sky Web have a function of connecting to a web server on the Internet, and have a tone generator circuit to enable reproduction (automatic performance) of obtained musical tone data as an alert sound, for example. To receive the service, browser software is started by the communication terminal apparatus to display a search screen, a menu, or the like required for retrieving and designating desired musical tone data on a display. Display data for displaying the display screen is transmitted as an HTML file from the server apparatus.
For example, the browser software accesses a site to receive the musical tone data distributing service, downloads and displays a top page, and then sequentially changes the screen display by downloading display data such as a new arrival information list screen, a melody search screen, a melody purchase screen according to the operation of the user. The user downloads desired incoming call melody data by designating an incoming call melody or the like on the screen and requesting the server apparatus to provide it.
In the above described conventional communication terminal apparatus, a plurality of screens such as a top page, a list screen, and a search screen are displayed until the purchase of a melody, but when changing screens to be displayed, the browser software accesses the server apparatus every time the screen display is changed (once per display screen) to download next display data via the Internet. This necessitates a large number of times of access to the server apparatus and results in slow response in screen display.
Further, in data communication by cellular phones via the Internet, packet communication fees are usually charged according to the amount of communication data. Since such a packet communication fee is charged even if display data is downloaded one by one, the packet communication fee is charged whenever the display screen is changed, in addition to a communication fee that is charged for downloading of musical tone data itself. Thus, if it is unavoidable to download a plurality of display data until the purchase of a melody, a high packet communication fee is charged.
In particular, in a service which permits downloading of a plurality of melodies (e.g. ten) at a flat rate per month, a user usually accesses the same service site at certain time or day intervals. In this case, even if it is only necessary to display the same screen as a previous one in order to obtain musical tone data, display data must always be downloaded again. This slows the response in screen display and raises the packet communication fee, and accordingly, it has been desired to take proper measures to solve such problems.
Further, the conventional communication terminal apparatus necessitates repeatedly accessing the server apparatus and selecting items while receiving display data required for displaying screens one by one. For example, to select a desired incoming call melody, one of a plurality of incoming call melody service webs is selected after a top page of an incoming call melody service is displayed, and a predetermined item is selected on a top page of the selected service web so as to select a further detailed genre and category. Moreover, in many cases, it takes much time to reach a desired melody due to a wide range of search results. This necessitates a large number of times of access to the server apparatus until a desired search result is obtained, and causes a problem of making it difficult to retrieve a desired melody in a short period of time, in addition to the above-mentioned problems relating to the response and the communication fee.